Bella's Descent
by TheMortalTwilight
Summary: Bella is hiding a deadly secret from the Cullen's. Can they save her from her spiralling descent towards death before its too late? Contains eating disorder content.
1. Rosalie's Suspicion

Bella rolled over in bed, sighing slightly as she turned. She knew it was time to wake up and get ready for school but she felt exhausted. She hadn't fell asleep until 5am.

When the alarm clock failed to silence, she stuck out her hand and turned it off. "Come on Bella, up you get." She mused to herself.

She dressed slowly, catching a glimpse of her body in the mirror. She was thankful the weather was cold so that she could cover up the purple bruises coating her legs and arms. She pulled on two hoodies before looking out of the bedroom window.

Alice was right on time. She waved from the driveway and Bella forced a smile back.

Bella hadn't been feeling well for a while, and she was determined to not let the Cullen's notice. It was a pretty hard task considering Carlisle was a doctor and both Edward and Rosalie had gone to medical school. Still, the last thing she needed was the Cullen's figuring out her secret.

She grabbed her bag and met Alice in the driveway. Before she could get into the car, Alice shot her hand out. "Breakfast, Bella." She reprimanded.

Bella had intentionally forgotten to pick up the breakfast laid out on the kitchen counter but she went back in and got it to not make Alice suspicious.

"How are you this morning?" Alice asked as Bella climbed into the passenger seat. Edward had gone on a hunting trip with Emmett and Jasper late last night and was going to meet them at the school just before class.

"Yeah, I'm okay. Tired." Bella replied. It was starting to become her standard answer.

Alice glanced over at her but said nothing. Instead, she fell into a deep conversation about the latest fashion trends and their upcoming shopping trip to Seattle.

When they arrived at the school, Edward was waiting for them in their usual parking space. His face warmed as Bella climbed out of the car and into his arms. "Good morning, beautiful." He murmured into her soft hair.

Bella blushed lightly and readjusted herself in Edward's arms so that he was unable to feel her ribs. "Morning."

The day went pretty quickly after that. The morning classes were usually boring but Bella spent the time going over things in her head and looking at Edward.

It was when lunch rolled around that the day began to slow. Bella unquestionably dreaded the lunch time bell. Why did they need a lunch time anyway? School was for learning, right?

The Cullen's were already sat at the lunch table – minus Edward who was stood with Bella at the entrance to the cafeteria.

"Right, let's go get some food for the human." Edward murmured quietly so that only Bella could hear. He chuckled lightly.

Bella hated being the weak and feeble human, but she followed Edward down the food line anyway and picked up a plate. Although she'd rather sit at the table with nothing, the Cullen's would definitely notice something was up if she did. She piled her plate with fruit and some vegetable sticks before grabbing a bottle of water. Edward had put some kind of stew on his plate to fake appearances.

When Bella walked to the Cullen table she was cautious when choosing a seat. She knew Rosalie was becoming somewhat suspicious of her behaviours, so she made sure to not sit opposite her. She didn't need Rosalie watching her every move as she attempted to hide the food on her plate.

"That looks nice, Bella." Emmett complimented as she sat. He was trying to eat some French fries but didn't seem too satisfied. "Though I'm not sure just fruit and veg is a full nutritious lunch…"

Bella stared down at her plate. "Well, I am still quite full from breakfast and it's always good to be healthy, Emmett."

"Breakfast?" Alice piped in. "What? A cereal bar and a banana? That's _very_ filling, Bella." She resorted sarcastically.

"Definitely." Bella agreed, pretending she hadn't picked up on Alice's sarcasm. She began to chew on the carrot stick. She had to refrain herself from gagging. She hadn't had any choice but to eat the cereal bar and banana in front of Alice this morning and she didn't need any more food in her today. The fact she had forgotten to take her caffeine pills this morning didn't help the situation either.

The Cullen's chatted mindlessly about the hunting trip, minus Alice who was still talking about fashion. Bella pretended to listen but wasn't really that interested.

She was trying to not focus on Rosalie but it was extremely difficult when she was staring Bella down.

Rosalie watched every single movement Bella did. She watched her pick up the food off the plate and put it in her mouth. It was torture. There was no way Bella would be able to drop the food into the napkin she had slid onto her lap. Rosalie was definitely suspicious, which made Bella a little confused because she wasn't very close to Rose. She hadn't expected Rose to notice a thing.

"So," Rosalie finally spoke, grabbing Bella's attention quickly. She was looking right at Bella as she spoke. "Esme hasn't seen you in a few days so she's organised a movie night later on at the house. She's phoned Charlie to say we're having a girly sleepover and he's happy for you to stay over."

Bella bit her lip. She had purposely been avoiding Esme over the last few days but couldn't deny that she did have to go over to the Cullen house eventually. "Sounds good." She mumbled and Edward smiled beside her.

"It'll be so good to just hang out with everyone," He began. "Even Carlisle isn't working this evening!"

Great, Bella thought. Not only was she spending the evening at the Cullen's but the doctor was also going to be in attendance. It was really starting to become difficult now that everyone around her was more observant and in tune to her needs.

She would have to be extra careful at the Cullen household.

Edward was starting to encourage her to eat some more of her vegetables when she just couldn't take it anymore. She grasped her stomach and clasped her hand over her mouth in an attempt to feign sickness. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, "But… I really need the bathroom."

Before any of them could speak, she shot off across the cafeteria and into the girl's bathroom. She wasn't really feeling unwell, she just wanted to get out of the awkward situation at the lunch table. She also wanted to relieve herself of the food she'd just eaten unwillingly.

She was just finishing up in the stall when there was a knock.

"Bella." Shit. It was Rosalie. "You're being sick? You okay?"

"Uh, yeah." Bella cleared her throat, wiped her mouth and flushed. "Must just be a stomach bug or something."

As she came out of the stall, Rosalie placed a hand on her forehead. "Funny." Rosalie mused. "You don't seem to have a fever."

Bella shook off Rose's hand carefully and ran her hands under the faucet. "Must be in the early stages then."

"Well, Carlisle will be able to take a look at you later so it'll be okay." Rosalie smiled softly. "Take it easy though okay? Edward nearly barged through the door when he heard you were being sick…we don't want any crazy vampires on the loose." She winked and then left the bathroom. When the door shut, she heard Rosalie in the corridor. "Chill Edward; it seems to be the start of a stomach bug. She'll be out in a minute."

Bella stood looking at herself in the mirror for a few moments. She couldn't make it out. She was positive Rosalie knew something was going on and definitely didn't think she believed it was a stomach bug, so why was she going along with it?

Whatever reason it was, Bella didn't mind. She just didn't need anyone finding out. She walked out of the bathroom to find Edward leaning up against the corridor.


	2. A Night at the Cullen's

Bella pressed herself into the leather seats of the Volvo. School was over and Edward was driving her to the Cullen mansion for the sleepover.

"How are you feeling?" Rosalie was sat next to Emmett and called out to Bella from the backseat.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine." Bella turned around and smiled quickly. "Must have been something I'd eaten; I'm not feeling unwell now."

Rosalie murmured quietly to herself. "You still look a little pale, but I'm glad you're feeling better."

Bella didn't respond; just simply rested her head against the seat and watched the Cullen house come into view as they approached the drive.

"Esme's very eager to see you," Edward beamed at Bella as they parked. "Her thoughts are going a 100 miles an hour."

"I've missed her." Bella almost ran up the steps to the house. Before she could grasp the handle, Esme opened the door and pulled her into a hug.

"Bella," Esme fussed tenderly. "Come in, come in."

Bella had missed the comforts of the Cullen home. It was a lot different to the house she shared with Charlie. Still, she felt guilty that she hadn't stayed over the Cullen's as often as usual, but she needed to start distancing herself in order to keep her secret contained.

"Edward told us you were sick," Esme began. "Carlisle will come down and look at you soon. I've got some chicken soup on the stove; I know that makes you better."

Bella almost cried but stopped herself as she looked over at Esme.

Esme was right; she used to love coming over to Cullen's when she was poorly and wolfing down Esme's perfect chicken soup, but not anymore. The thought of it terrified Bella. She couldn't stand to eat food that she hadn't prepared herself; the calories wouldn't be accurate.

"Thank you, Esme. I was just telling Rosalie in the car how I'm feeling much better now and it must have been something I'd ate." Bella shuffled on the couch; it was hard for her to lie. She was worried they'd be able to see straight through her. In times like these she was thankful Edward couldn't read her mind.

She wasn't feeling better at all. She was actually feeling worse. The hunger had gotten to the point where she was feeling physically sick. Her head was throbbing in pain and dizziness clawed at her eyes.

Esme didn't question her though. "That's good to hear dear, would you like me to make something else then?"

"No, no, Esme. Chicken soup will be fine." Whatever Esme made for her, Bella would be terrified to eat anyway, so the chicken soup would have to do.

Esme seemed grateful for the answer and went off to the kitchen to warm up the chicken soup.

Rosalie pressed herself into the chair next to Bella as Edward had taken up the other side of her. Emmett had gone up to the second floor to see what Jasper and Alice were up to in the games room.

Bella could hear Carlisle coming down the stairs and tried not to let her unease show. She was sure that she didn't look sick because she didn't really have a problem, but Carlisle had

vampire vision and picked up even the slightest things different with Bella. She was worried he would notice the bags underneath her eyes, the pale skin or perhaps somehow see the bruises hidden underneath her clothes.

"Bella," she heard Carlisle announce as he came into the front room. "Esme told me you were feeling unwell, but it seems you're feeling better now?" He had overheard the conversation from his study.

"Yes, Carlisle, thank you though. Just my weak human stomach." She tried a laugh but no one seemed to find her humour funny.

Carlisle was standing in front of the couch she was on and was looking at her as though he was deep in thought. "Are you sure? Only, your heart beat seems a little off and you're quite pale."

"Yup." She argued, sinking herself into the couch as though it would eat her up.

"Bella," Edward piped in from beside her. "I think you should let Carlisle have a once over of you? Perhaps, just to ensure you feel okay."

"No," Bella tried not to jump in too quickly. "I'm okay, I'll be fine by the morning."

"Okay." Carlisle held his arms up in defeat and took a seat on another couch. "Some food and rest will do you good."

Just as he spoke, Esme brought out the steaming bowl of chicken soup to Bella.

She had narrowly managed to avoid a physical examination but there was no way she would be able to avoid the soup.

Although it made her want to gag, she swallowed the soup slowly, trying not to tense her body in the process.

The Cullen's had turned to doing their own stuff to give her some privacy as she ate but she knew that they watching. They always found Bella's eating fascinating.

When she had finished the bowl, her head was filled with guilt and she desperately wanted to walk around or exercise. There was no doing that in the Cullen household though.

Instead, she settled against Edward and watched a movie.

She was distracted the entire time; too busy focusing on the calories that were in the soup.

When 10pm rolled around, Bella was feeling pretty exhausted. Without her caffeine pills, it was hard for her to function.

Rosalie seemed to notice this and nudged her gently. "You want to go upstairs? Chill out a little?"

Bella nodded gratefully. She missed girly time with Rosalie and Alice.


	3. What Happened To You?

A/N: Thank you guys so much for all your support. As a recovered Anorexic, this story means so much to me. You guys are giving me the inspiration to keep writing chapters. keep it coming! And as a side note - Rosalie gets on with Bella in this story. I love her character and feel shes desperately misunderstood. Thanks again.

* * *

Edward had pretended to sulk as Bella left his side and followed Rosalie up to her room.

When they got there, Alice was already stretched out in Rosalie's egg chair. "Should we do nails?" She asked; her eyes lighting up at the thought.

"You and Rose can," Bella said as she pulled herself onto the bed. "I'll sit here and watch."

"Fine with me." Alice said; she was just happy to be able to paint someone's nails.

Bella felt herself going dizzy so decided to lie down on the bed. She didn't need a fainting spell in front of two watchful vampires.

She laid there for a while; listening to Alice and Rosalie talking about fashion and some of the students at school. She was glad that the three of them were finally getting along like sisters and that Rose had warmed up to her over the last few months.

She didn't know what time it was but she was exhausted and struggling to fall asleep. She vaguely thought of moving to Edward's room but was just too tired to do so.

Her breathing was becoming unsettled which was making it hard for her to rest, but she tried to focus on sleep anyway.

Eventually, Rosalie approached the bed and sat down near Bella's head. "Are you not able to sleep?"

It was only then Bella realised Alice had left the room. Bella wondered how long ago she'd left. "No, not really." She mumbled, opening one eye to look at Rose. Bella was definitely a lot closer to Alice than she was Rose, but their relationship seemed to be improving.

"Well, firstly you'll overheat in those jeans and hoodies. I'll get you some shorts and a t-shirt." Rosalie began to stand and Bella swiftly sat up.

"I get cold when I sleep – I'll wear pants and keep my hoodie on." Bella was definitely not going to let anyone see her bruises.

Rosalie sighed and pulled a pair of pants out of her drawer. "At least take one of your hoodies off; you don't need a fever."

Bella complied; hiding behind the wardrobe door so her exposed legs were not seen by Rosalie as she dressed and then curled on her side. She pulled the blanket over her.

Rosalie settled next to her head and began smoothing out Bella's hair. Edward was having time with his brothers wrestling in the garden and Rose knew that Bella often found it difficult to sleep when he wasn't around.

It took Rosalie 15 minutes to sing Bella asleep; which was longer than usual. There was something off about the little human in front of her and she was determined to figure out why.

She took a seat on the sofa opposite her bed and waited for Emmett to join her. She could hear him approaching the landing.

"Hey Rose," He spoke quietly as not to wake Bella. "You okay?" He joined her on the sofa.

"Yeah, Em." She curled into his side and was grateful when he began stroking her hair. "Just a little worried for Bella."

Emmett looked over at Bella's still form on the bed. "She seems okay. Everyone takes very good care of her."

"I know that." Rosalie sighed. "There's just something off."

Emmett and Rosalie spent the rest of the night there; curled up on the sofa. Edward had come in during the early hours of the morning to take Bella to his room but she had clung to Rose's bed. He decided to settle next to her in Rose's room.

Morning came around slowly; Bella continued to sleep as Rosalie, Emmett and Edward talked in the room.

At 6am Edward moved from the bed and threw a brotherly punch to Emmett's arm. "Ready to go hunting again?"

Just before they left the room to get the others, Edward leaned over and kissed Bella on the cheek. "See you soon, beautiful."

Everyone except Esme and Rosalie were due for a hunt so they decided to head up to Alaska whilst Esme and Rosalie babysat Bella for the weekend. Although Edward, Jasper and Emmett were partially fed from the recent trip, they wanted to stock up and let the girls have some time together.

Edward hated leaving Bella behind but he knew once he'd hunted he'd be able to spend a lot more time with her.

"I'll look after her, Ed." Rose assured him. She was still sat in her room with a sleeping Bella but he'd heard her from the doorway.

"You better." He said, only half joking before the cars sped out of the driveway.

Rose stayed settled in her room after they left. She could hear Esme downstairs in the kitchen making Bella some breakfast.

Bella was still completely out of it. She'd told Rose plenty of times that the bed was remarkably comfy. Rose was happy to let her get some rest; she seemed to need it.

It was when Esme alerted Rose that the breakfast was ready that she decided she needed to wake Bella up.

"Bella," Rose approached the bed and gave Bella a gentle shake. "Good morning, sleepy head. Breakfast is ready."

Bella groaned and rolled over to look at Rose. She felt as though she hadn't slept at all. She slowly sat up; making sure to stay sitting a little longer to avoid the dizziness.

She made her way down the stairs, following behind Rosalie cautiously. The smell of eggs was making her feel a little nauseous.

"Thank you so much, Esme." Bella mumbled as she sat at the island. "This looks lovely." The last thing Bella wanted to do was eat the cooked breakfast but she had to have some because Esme and Rosalie were sat with her.

When they were talking, she managed to drop a few bites into her lap and her cup. She also managed to put some bacon in her hoodie pocket. Vampires were observant, but only when they weren't distracted.

Esme was showing Rosalie a home catalogue and was discussing her next renovations.

"I'm just going to take a shower." Bella announced, slowly heading for the stairs. Neither vampire looked up; they were in deep conversation about wallpaper colours.

This was Bella's chance. She made it to the second floor bathroom without falling which was very unlike her. She slid the lock across the door and quietly pushed her fingers towards the back of her throat. She'd practised enough to be able to make as little noise as possible, to which she was thankful.

Her stomach contents came hurting into the pan and she groaned momentarily. The gagging movements had exhausted her immensely. She felt her heart fluttering.

Before she could move, she could hear footsteps.

Rosalie was climbing the stairs rapidly. Bella had locked the bathroom door but there was no sound of the shower like she'd said. Rosalie knocked once and when there was no reply other than heavy breathing, she wedged the door and popped off the lock.

"Bella?" Rosalie's panicked voice barely made any sense to Bella's swirling mind. The bathroom was becoming blurry and her knees were weak.

"Bella, what have you done?" Rosalie's voice was close to her ear now as she wrapped her in her arms and pulled her from the toilet.

Rosalie carried Bella to her room and laid her down on the bed. "Stay with me, Bella, stay with me."

Bella was unconscious by the time Rose got her on the bed; her lifeless body was cold to the touch and drenched in cold sweat. Her pulse was weak and rapid.

"Bella, can you hear me sweetie?" Rosalie wrapped a manicured hand around Bella's wrist; listening to the pulse.

Esme had heard the commotion and was immediately next to Rosalie's side. She had her one ear pressed to the phone. She was calling Carlisle.

Rose laid a hand against Bella's forehead. "Okay, she's burning up. We're going have to take some layers off her."

Esme nodded, "Carlisle says to keep her cool but not to let her get too cold. I'll get a wash cloth from the bathroom."

Rosalie undressed Bella prudently; pulling away the layers she had piled on. Rosalie's hand froze when Bella's long sleeve top was removed. Small purple bruises encased her elbows and forearms and Rosalie found similar bruises on her knees and legs when she removed the pants. "Oh Bella." She murmured, sliding on a pair of Edward's boxers. "What's happened to you?"

Rosalie could barely stand to pull the t-shirt over Bella's head. Bella's bones were as sharp as razor blades and you could see each individual rib move as she breathed. When had Bella lost all this weight?

Rosalie scooped Bella into her arms, wrapped a fluffy comforter around her and sat on the bed. "Bella, wake up." She ran a finger softly down Bella's cheek.

"Carlisle and Edward are on their way back. They'll feed just before they get here. The others will come later on this evening." Esme handed the washcloth over to Rosalie and pressed a hand against Bella's cheek. "Oh Bella,"

"I knew something was up with her." Rosalie shook her head. "I never expected it to be something this serious. But now it makes absolute sense – the tiredness, the bruising, the tension around food, the rushing off to the bathroom and secrecy. I just wish she'd entrusted in one of us so we could have helped her sooner."

"Is it a…?" Esme didn't say the word. Eating disorder. She couldn't bring herself to associate such a deadly disease with a young girl that she adored so much.

Rosalie nodded bleakly. "I think so. I treated a young girl with Anorexia during medical training. It's such a wretched disease – physically and mentally."


	4. Bella Needs Us to Help Her

Bella eventually started to come around and she squirmed in Rosalie's grasp. "Rose, what are you doing?"

"You passed out, Bella." Rosalie readjusted her arms so that Bella couldn't escape the hold. "You need to stay still. You've been out for a few minutes and your pulse rate is extremely worrying."

Recognition drew on Bella's face and the only colour she had drained from her face. "Rose… I need…"

Rose thrust her forward on her lap just as Esme shoved the trash can into Bella's waiting hands.

Bella's stomach contents were empty so she retched for a few moments with bile. She wiped her mouth and slowly leaned back into Rose's grasp.

Esme moved the trash can out of the way and reassuringly massaged Bella's clammy hands. "It's okay, Bella. Carlisle and Edward are on their way, just rest." She rushed off to the kitchen to get a glass of ice cold water.

Rosalie kept a close eye on Bella's heart rate; monitoring her face for any signs of pains or discomfort.

Bella's eyes were fighting to stay open and her breathing was becoming shallow. Carlisle needed to arrive swiftly but Rosalie knew it would take at least an hour now.

"Esme," She grabbed Esme's attention softly before she could come back into the bedroom. "Can you get Carlisle's bag?"

Esme stopped, turning to head back to Carlisle's study. She grabbed his black medical bag and made her way back to Rosalie.

Rosalie leaned over the bed and pulled an oxygen mask out of the bag and connected it to the oxygen canister. "Bella, I'm going to give you some oxygen. Your body is fighting very hard for air; I'm going to make it a little easier for you."

Bella resisted Rosalie's attempts to hold the oxygen mask against her mouth. Her whimpers were heart-breaking but Rosalie couldn't risk Bella's breathing worsening. "It's okay; it's going to make it much easier, I promise."

Bella's resistance started to falter sluggishly; Rosalie put it down to exhaustion. She didn't have the energy to fight anymore.

"Please not Carlisle." Bella whimpered lifelessly. It was hard to hear her over the noise of the breathing mask but Rosalie's vampire hearing heard it just fine.

"Hush Bella, don't worry about anything. Just rest." Rosalie didn't have the words to make Bella feel better. She didn't think there were any words that could make her feel better; not in this situation anyway.

Esme perched herself on the edge of Rosalie's bed, taking Bella's hands in her own. She seemed to want to say something but couldn't figure out what. It was hard for her to see her youngest daughter struggling. She wanted to take all her pain away.

"Her pulse is stabilising." Rosalie murmured to her lightly; readjusting Bella in her arms so that she was more comfortable.

"What happened?" Esme already knew Bella had vomited in the bathroom but she was confused as to how ill she had become so quickly.

"When your body starves for a while, you lose muscle mass, both the skeletal and cardiac type. Essentially, the heart weakens which increases the chances of heart failure. A weakened heart makes breathing difficult." Rosalie spoke as those she was completely detached from the situation. She didn't want to associate these words with Bella, but it was the truth.

"So this has been going on for a while?" Esme couldn't stand to comprehend the situation. Venom stabbed at her eyes and she knew if she were human she'd be crying. She chided herself for not being more observant. How could she not notice Bella's failing health?

"Don't blame yourself, Esme." Rosalie started as though she could read every thought. "People with eating disorders are incredibly secretive. They go above and beyond to ensure no one finds out their secret. If you don't know what to look for, you often don't see it. If anyone is to blame for this; its me. I saw the signs; I just didn't piece them together. Just last night I said to Emmett something was off. If only i'd have-"

Esme cut Rosalie off quickly. "Stop." Her voice was stern. "It's no one's fault. Let's just focus on Bella."

By now, Bella's situation had stabilised. Her breathing was weak but normal and she slept soundly in Rosalie's arms. Her body was cool although her face held some signs of fever.

"Can I hold her?" Esme asked. She knew Rosalie's arms wouldn't tire from holding Bella for so long but she felt helpless just sat there watching.

Rosalie seemed to understand and handed Bella over quietly. "I'm going to dampen the wash cloth again; she should be okay now."

Esme didn't look up as Rosalie left the room. She just concentrated on Bella's peaceful face. Her eyelids were a light purple and you could see the veins pulsating. She looked so small lying there. Esme could almost feel her heart breaking.

She hadn't seen Bella in over a week but she thought she surely should have noticed something even then. Bella had been losing this weight weeks before that.

Looking down at Bella's body resting against her own was startling. Bella's skin was almost paler than hers. You could see her ribs protruding even from underneath the vest top Rosalie had dressed her in.

"Oh Bella," Esme found herself murmuring to herself. "You don't need to hurt anymore. I'm right here, I promise."

As Rosalie brought a fresh washcloth into the room, Esme heard Carlisle's Mercedes pull up into the driveway.

Before the car stopped, Edward was already rushing into the house and up the stairs to Rosalie's room.

"Edward," Rosalie began, standing at the doorway to block his entry momentarily. "She's sleeping. She's okay."

Edward had read both their minds. He'd seen the images Rosalie had seen when she found Bella in the bathroom. He'd seen how she'd undressed her and given her oxygen. He pushed

past her at the door and stood in front of Esme.

"Please," He whispered. "Let me hold her now."

Esme handed Bella over to Edward and stood from the bed to let him sit down. Carlisle had arrived and was stood in the doorway so Esme moved to be near him.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," Edward's voice was breaking. His jaw was set tightly and his hands almost grasped at Bella's body.

"Son," Carlisle's voice was cool; collected. "You're going to hurt her; you need to loosen your grip a little."

Edward released Bella quickly and settled for stroking her face.

"What are we going to do, Carlisle?" Esme asked sadly.

"Nothing until Bella wakes up." He started, pulling her to his side. "I need to confirm that this is an eating disorder and I cannot do that without Bella's confirmation. I'll need to speak with her and also examine her with her consent. For now, we should let her get some rest. Rosalie did a good job at stabilising her condition."

"Are you kidding?" Rosalie was starting to get irritated. "This is definitely an eating disorder. All you need to do is look at her. All you need to do is observe the fact that she made herself sick; she hid food; she's lost a tremendous amount of weight. She-"

Carlisle held up a steady hand. "That's enough, Rosalie. We'll let Bella sleep in peace for now. I'll come back and check on her when she awakens." With that, he and Esme left the room.

"Edward?" Rosalie asked hopefully when they were gone. "You believe me right? Bella needs us to help her."

"She's sick, Rose." Edward replied quietly and Rosalie thought he agreed with her. He didn't, because moments later he spoke again. "I think she's been working herself too hard and stressed herself out. When she wakes, I know she'll be back to her normal self. She's got a stomach bug, you said so yourself."

Rosalie was too angry to say anything. There was no point arguing with him; not when he was in such denial. She clenched and unclenched her fists at her side before turning her back. She needed to run; to get air; to think about the situation. She needed to get away.

When she got to the edge of the yard, she ran towards the forest as if she'd never ran before. She ran and she never stopped.


	5. It's Not a Stomach Bug

It had been a few days since Bella's deterioration at the Cullen house.

Everyone was acting as though things were back to normal, except for Rosalie.

Rosalie couldn't settle with the fact that Bella's failing health was a severe stomach bug.

She knew the signs of an eating disorder; she'd even had the symptoms herself as a human.

Rosalie sighed; pulling herself out of her musings. She was stood in the cafeteria food line to keep up appearances. She could see Bella curled into Edward's side; nothing but a diet coke in front of her.

Today, Rosalie had a plan though.

The lunch supervisor handed over the tray of food and Rosalie headed towards her family.

As she sat, she slid the bowl of fries across to Bella.

Bella glanced over quickly; meeting Rosalie's gaze for a second. It was enough though; the panic in Bella's eyes was obvious.

"Who are these for?" Bella asked Rosalie quietly.

"You." Rosalie smiled and popped a chip into her own mouth.

"I'm not hungry." Bella was looking down at the table; her hands fidgeting nervously. "I mean, this stomach bug is making me feel nauseous so I don't really want to eat."

"You still need to eat," Rosalie chided. "Right Edward?"

Edward looked up at Rosalie slowly. He knew where her thoughts were heading and he refused to believe her, but he did admit that Bella needed to eat. "You need to eat, love."

Bella was chewing furiously on her lip. She didn't want to eat but she knew she would need to in order to keep Rosalie's suspicion at bay.

She picked up a small fry and popped it into her mouth. It took all her might to swallow it but she did, and then swiftly took a swig of her diet coke. "Fine."

The rest of lunch hour passed slowly. Bella was forced to eat the side of fries despite not wanting to with all her might. She would have to give it a few minutes before heading to the bathroom.

As the lunch bell run for the start of afternoon period, Bella hurried to the girls restroom situated just outside of her next class. She stood for a few seconds to ensure the coast was Rosalie clear, and then locked herself in a stall.

She took a few deep breaths and then forced her fingers against the gag reflex in the back of her throat.

The fries came tumbling out into the pan along with the diet coke, which burned momentarily.

Bella couldn't help but cough, and as she did she heard the restroom door open.

"Bella," Rosalie called. "Don't pretend it's not you. I can smell you. I'm assuming being sick is the result of the stomach bug right?" Rosalie was not stupid; she knew Bella was purposely throwing up; why couldn't the others see this.

"It is the stomach bug." Bella wiped her mouth a few times and then left the stall. Rosalie was leaning against the sinks; her arms crossed. "That's why I don't want to eat. It makes me feel ill."

Rosalie's eyes narrowed and then she sighed. "You can pretend it's a stomach bug all you want right now; but stomach bugs aren't permanent. What's your next excuse going to be?"

Bella didn't answer. She knew Rosalie was right but she'd think of something; she was smart.

She was about to leave the restroom when Rosalie grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Bella," Her voice was much softer now. "Please be careful. Your heart rate is growing slower."

Bella pretended not to hear, fell from Rosalie's grip and headed to her next class.

Later that evening, Rosalie was sat on the couch in the Cullen living room. Emmett was enclosing her in one of his big bear hugs.

Jasper and Alice were sat on the love-seat reading a book and Esme had just entered from the kitchen. Carlisle was at work, and Edward with Bella at Charlie's.

"I really need to talk to you guys." She murmured carefully.

"What's wrong, Rose?" Esme settled herself next to Rosalie and Emmett.

"I feel like Bella's situation isn't being taken seriously." Rosalie appraised the whole living room with focused eyes. She needed people to take her seriously, because Bella's life was at risk.

"Her stomach bug?" Jasper approached the subject carefully; he knew how Rosalie felt about the subject.

"It's not a stomach bug Jasper." Rosalie couldn't take it anymore. "She threw up her food at lunch. She's fearful around food. She's lost an incredible amount of weight. She's tired, irritable. She's got a weakening heart rate, low body temperature and pale appearance. She's barely eating."

Esme pondered the thought for a few moments and clasped her hands together. "You know, Rose, I think you're right. We need to watch Bella very carefully. The night she had a black out or fit, I was so worried. That didn't seem like a stomach bug."

Rosalie pressed herself into the couch with a sigh of relief. "We need to go get Bella, right now. She's not going to be around much longer."

With that, the Cullen girls headed to Bella's house.


	6. What Are We Going To Do With You?

"Rose." Edward met the Cullen girls at the door to Charlie's as soon as they arrived. His face seemed paler than usual; something was wrong.

"Edward? What's the matter?" Rosalie pushed past him at the doorway; pointing a questioning look towards Alice to see why she had not seen a vision.

"Bella's future has been uncertain for weeks. Her future is clouded." Alice looked down at her feet, guiltily.

"It's Bella, she's not breathing properly." Before Edward could finish his sentence, Rosalie was pounding up the stairs to Bella's bedroom.

Bella was led across her bed, curled onto her side. Her hand was clutching her stomach and she was drenched in sweat. Her breathing was extremely laboured.

Rosalie rushed to her side; Esme on the other. "Bella? Bella, look at me?"

Bella moaned softly but made no other indication whether she could hear Rosalie or Esme.

"Bella." Rose tried to be stern this time. When there was no response, she pulled Bella onto her back and pressed her cheek towards Bella's pale lips.

Her breaths were slow and catching in her throat. Slowly, they began to decrease. "Bella, I need you to keep breathing. Come on Bella, come on." Rose shook her head quietly. "Bradypnea," She murmured under her breath.

In an instant, the room became silent. Bella's laboured breaths stopped; her body grew still.

"Goddammit Bella." Rose cursed, pulling Bella's t-shirt up to expose her chest. "Alice, calm Edward down; he's about to break down the door. Esme, I need rescue breaths."

As Rosalie and Esme began CPR, Alice held Edward on the bedroom floor.

Edward gaped at Bella's still form on the bed with a detached expression. Alice hugged him tight to her chest; without the deep pressure she feared he'd lose touch with reality completely.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the silence of the room was finally filled by shallow breathing.

Rosalie scooped Bella into her arms and raced to the cars in the driveway. "Alice, keep Edward here. I'll take Bella to the house with Esme; I can access the medical supplies there. We'll call Carlisle on the way."

With Alice's sound of approval, Rosalie wasted no time pulling the car into drive and heading towards the Cullen mansion.

Esme clutched Bella's limp body in her arms; constantly reassuring her it was going to be okay.

When they pulled up in the driveway, Emmett met them at the door and took Bella from Esme's grip. "What's happened?"

"Bella's heart stopped. We need to get her up to Carlisle's office immediately." Rosalie was seconds behind Emmett as he carried Bella into Carlisle's office and laid her on the bed.

Rosalie grabbed the wires of the cardiac monitor and began attaching them to Bella's skin. "Keep your eyes open, Bella, stay with me."

Bella groaned but was still quite groggy. She tried to swat the wires away but Rosalie held her arms gently. "I'm going to give you some oxygen, Bella. I don't want you giving out on me again."

Bella made a moan of protest but relaxed against Emmett's restraint as he took over from Rosalie. Her skin was pale and clammy; her lips and eyelids pale in the fluorescent light.

As Rosalie secured the oxygen mask over Bella's head, Bella's chest gave a sigh of protest and for a few seconds she fought for air.

"Bella, just keep breathing. Nice gentle breaths; that's it." Rosalie's calming voice soon got Bella to settle and the breathing monitor evened out.

Emmett loosened his grip and pulled up a chair to sit on. "What do we do now?"

"She's stable," Rosalie murmured gently; brushing a hair from Bella's ashen face. "We just need to watch her carefully until Carlisle comes back."

"Is she going to be okay?" Emmett looked at Bella questionably.

Rosalie took a seat beside him and reached for his hand. "She's put a lot of strain on her body and her heart is very weak because of it. Without food, the body eats the muscles instead, which has drastically weakened her ability to function and breathe."

"Oh Bella." Emmett muttered under his breath.

20 minutes passed, and Bella still remained semi-conscious. Esme brought up blankets and tried to get Bella to drink some warm tea without any luck.

Bella was still curled on her side, her arms tight around her torso. Her lips had lost their blue colour and were now a pale grey. Her hair was drenched in sweat.

Emmett had moved to the window to watch the outside world, and Rosalie sat on edge in her seat; ready to move and assist Bella if necessary.

A few minutes later, the repetitive beep of the heart monitor picked up pace and Bella stirred on the bed.

Her chest began contracting quickly and her face was becoming slightly red.

"Bella, don't you do this to me." Rosalie fled to Bella's side quickly, rolling her onto her back and removing the oxygen mask. She watched for breath and when there was none, she pulled a resuscitator from Carlisle's bag and began rescue breaths. "Emmett, chest compression's now. She's in ventricular fibrillation."

Emmett stood frozen for a few seconds before helping Rosalie.

Minutes passed with no improvements. "Emmett, look for a defibrillator. I think there's one in the cupboard."

Emmett nodded, bringing the defibrillator over to Rosalie at vampire speed.

"One, two, three, shocking." Bella's body rose from the bed momentarily, but nothing else happened.

"God damn it, Bella." Rosalie cursed, once again delivering a shock to Bella's heart. "Come on."

As the third shock was about to hit, Carlisle came through the office door. He took in the scene before him in seconds; heading for Bella. "Rose, keep going with the resuscitator for the moment. How long has she been without breaths?"

"Just over 5 minutes." Rosalie reported.

"I'm going to intubate her; I don't want to risk any brain damage." Once Carlisle had all the equipment he needed, he moved to replace Rosalie at the head of the bed. "Rosalie, insert the anaesthetic into her vein for me." He lifted Bella's chin towards him and placed the laryngoscope down her airway.

Once the anaesthetic was done, Rosalie handed over the tube and Carlisle carefully lowered it down Bella's windpipe.

When the tube was secured in the right place, Carlisle attached it to the ventilator Emmett had moved from the other side of the room. "Her condition should begin to stabilise now."

"Well done, Bella." Rosalie softly stroked Bella's now warm cheek. She sat down next to the bed and took Bella's hand in hers. "What are we going to do with you?"


End file.
